Castiglione's classic book of etiquette, told through a set of examples which portray the ideal Renaissance man and woman. Written between 1513-1518, this provocative treatise was inspired by a series of conversations among a group of aristocrats at the court of Urbino in 1507. Its central theme includes the nature of graceful behaviour, especially the impression of effortlessness, or "sprezzatura."  (ITL238, $13.95)

Renaissance